Nuclear Stocks Rally As Trump Opens the Federal Vault
Benzinga·2026-01-06 16:22

Core Insights - The nuclear energy sector is experiencing significant growth due to a $2.7 billion funding boost from the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at revitalizing the domestic uranium enrichment pipeline [1][2] Group 1: Funding and Government Support - The funding is part of a broader federal initiative to support the domestic nuclear energy industry, continuing the "nuclear renaissance" policy from the Trump administration [1][3] - The capital is specifically allocated to address a critical shortage of low-enriched uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) [2] Group 2: Contractors and Production Expansion - The Department of Energy has distributed funds through task orders to reduce reliance on Russian nuclear fuel, with three primary contractors each receiving $900 million to expand production [3] - Global Laser Enrichment, a joint venture involving Cameco Corp., received $28 million to advance next-generation laser enrichment technologies [3] Group 3: Market Reaction and Stock Performance - Investors have reacted positively, leading to aggressive buying in the nuclear sector, particularly among small modular reactor (SMR) developers and uranium miners [4] - Key players in the market, including Oklo Inc., NuScale Power Corp., and Nano Nuclear Energy, have seen significant stock price increases due to expectations of a reliable HALEU supply chain [7] Group 4: Strategic Focus on Domestic Energy - The administration's focus on "American-made" energy is increasing the value of domestic mining and processing assets, benefiting companies like Uranium Energy Corp. and the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF [7] - Centrus Energy is positioned as the primary domestic enricher, focusing on enhancing HALEU capacity [6][7]